out of all the darkness in the sky (I saw your eyes)
by heroesfan1
Summary: She thought he was just another politician. He thought she was just a pretty face. Complete AU, no powers. Sylaire.


**AN: This is a complete AU fic (no powers). I think mostly will be fluff, but there might be some things (sex?) in later chapters, so the rating might change. Also I am not going to make Gabriel Sylar's name because... Well, I don't really know. I might put it in later. Who knows? BUT I AM EXCITED. YES YES YES;) Oh and this is a Sylaire fic in case this wasn't clear already:)**

**Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine and yada yada yada.**

* * *

**Prologue:**

Sylar Gray was never late. He was never early either. He was always _exactly_ on time. Never a second off. He always strode into the room a second before the meeting would begin, dark suit and pinstriped shirt always perfectly in place.

As such, he expected everyone who came to see him to be right on time as well. Early was acceptable, but late was _not._ He was not a man who liked to be kept waiting.

He tapped his fingers impatiently on his desk, dark eyes flicking to the tall grandfather clock that stood to the side of his office. Five minutes late. He sighed impatiently. Three more minutes and he was calling the entire thing off. He didn't care much for charities, anyway. He had finished counting down two of the minutes before a tall blonde woman burst into the room, her striking blue suit standing out starkly in comparison to her skin. His lips curled. _Tracy Strauss._ She was head of public affairs and was ruthlessly cut-throat when it came to the company. His kind of woman.

"Ms. Strauss." His lips curled.

"Mr. Gray." She smirked at him.

She set her briefcase down beside her, crossing her legs and placing her hands on her lap before speaking. He cut her off before she could start, however.

"You're late."

She flashed her blindingly white teeth at him. "Fashionably."

He lifted his eyebrows at her but said nothing. She lifted one at him in return before beginning.

"As you know, we have developed something of a..." She licked her ruby-colored lips before continuing. "Reputation for being... _Enthusiatic_ about our business deals. And as I'm sure you are aware that most of this reputation was brought on by you."

"You're welcome." He leaned back in his chair. "Get to the point."

"Investors are getting scared off. Especially since the Petrelli deal." She rested her left hand on his desk, leaning forward. "We can't have that. So we're asking you to go get us some good press."

"The Petrelli's forced my hand. You know that." He lifted his feet onto the table, ignoring Tracy's irritated look.

"The press doesn't see it that way, and you are doing this. Don't even try getting out of it." She leaned down, grabbing a folder from her briefcase and tossing it on the table before standing up and brushing herself off. He grabbed it, flipping through it.

School for kids, blah blah blah, cancer children, yada yada yada, charity... His eyes flicked over the useless information before coming to rest on a picture of a young, blonde-haired girl with a determined expression in her green-blue eyes.

"She's their representative." His eyes went back to Tracy, who had a knowing look in her eyes. He put down the folder, bringing his feet down to the ground.

"Will that be all, Ms. Strauss?" She rolled her eyes at him, turning for the door.

"Try and find out a little bit more about the school before the official meeting. I'd rather you not look like an ass."

She was halfway out before she stopped and turned back to face him. "And try not to sleep with her before the deal is done. You_ know_ how I hate dealing with your ex's."

He sighed contently as the door slammed shut behind her. "That's only because you were one of them." He mumbled to himself, stifling a yawn and getting to his feet. He grabbed the folder from his table as he headed for the door. He supposed he had better do his research. He didn't like looking like an ass either.

* * *

Claire Bennet was a fairly patient person. She looked after kids, so how could she not be? Not that she thought kids required patience, because they were simple and easy to understand. Adults, though? Not so much.

For example, her birth father. She bit her lip and tried to stifle her annoyance as Nathan Petrelli talked on. She didn't know why he had bothered bringing her out to lunch at all if all he was going to talk to her about was his campaign. It wasn't that she didn't understand that it was important to him, because she knew it was (and even if she didn't, she would have eventually realized it over the past_ hour_), but they hadn't met up in over two months and he hadn't so much as asked her how she was before launching into a big speech about how many points he had in the polls and how that was the only reason he hadn't claimed her publicly as his daughter yet. Because it wasn't like she hadn't heard_ that one_ before. And then after that they had to talk about how Peter had turned him down on his job offer (again), and how his politics was so much better than everyone else's and then of course, what she really didn't want to talk about.

His 'donation' to her charity.

His 'guilt-money' was more accurate. And it wasn't her charity. It was the kid's charity.

"Nathan," she tried to keep her voice cool, calm and collected as she spoke. "I've told you, I don't want your money. Not until you actually _believe_ in the cause."

"I do, Claire. I believe in it." Anyone else might have been fooled by the fake sincerity in his big brown eyes, but she wasn't falling for it. She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Really?" Nathan nodded. "What's the name of the school then?"

Nathan opened his mouth then closed it. "Exactly." She reached for her purse, pulling out a ten dollar bill and dropping it on the table next to her half-finished coffee. "Lunch is on me."

She edged her way past the two bulked up body guards guarding their corner booth, giving them a mock salute as she made her way to the exit. She pushed open the door, letting the hot New York air calm her before setting on her way back to the school. She had better things to do than have tea with a senator anyway.

**xxxxxx**

By the time she'd gotten back to the school, the afternoon class had been let out and only a few kids remained behind waiting for their parents. She smiled as she spotted her 'favorite'. Or at least, Jamie would be her favorite if she had one.

The girl was short, practically half Claire's height and one of the softest-spoken kids Claire had ever met. She had been diagnosed with leukemia about five years ago, entered remission briefly before coming out of it three months later. Jamie was terminal, but Claire had hope. Kids like Jamie deserved hope, at least.

"Hey Jamie." She smiled, sitting down beside the little girl, who immediately leaned back into Claire's open arms. Claire's eyebrows rose slightly in shock. Jamie almost never initiated contact with people, not even with Claire.

"The doctor said it won't be long now." The girl whispered softly, and Claire's arms around the little girl tightened slightly, as if she could ward off the white blood cells with her touch. "Mommy and Daddy were trying to talk softly but I heard them."

The girl lifted her head backwards so that she could look at Claire. Her big blue eyes shone up at Claire with an innocence that made her heart ache in her chest.

"What if I don't want to go with the angels?" Jamie's bottom lip trembled. "What if I want to stay here with you and Mommy and Daddy?"

"Well," Claire sighed, breathing in the strawberry scent of Jamie's thinning red hair, "maybe if we ask them, really nicely.." She smiled into the top of Jamie's head, pressing a kiss there. "The angels will let you stay."

Jamie opened her mouth to say something, but the just then Claire spotted the sea-blue Sedan she knew contained Jamie's parents.

"Mommy and Daddy are here." She whispered, smiling sadly as Jamie slipped off her lap, gave her a kiss on the cheek and ran off towards the car. They drove off and Claire knew it wouldn't be long before Jamie would be pulled out of school. Her parents would want to spend as much time with her as possible now. Claire closed her eyes, leaning back against the brick wall and letting a few tears fall before quickly wiping them away with the back of her hand. Goodbyes were always hard, even though she knew she should be used to it by now.

She hopped down from the wall she'd been sitting on and turned to go back into the building when she saw a black town car pull into the school's driveway, not unlike the town car Nathan owned. She stormed towards it, her rant already prepped and ready when a tall dark haired man stepped out. _Oops_. Not Nathan.

She froze, before narrowing her eyes the tall figure. He was probably the donor that had called a few days ago, the people from Pinehearst that wanted to sponsor them. It had been a woman whom she'd talked to though, and she had to admit, she hadn't expected someone quite so... Imposing? Impressive? She was at odds to decide. However, donors and representation were her department and she was _not _going to leave her mom to deal with a lawyer type. Lord knows what happened to the last one she talked to and her mother tended to forget that they were a charity, which meant that _other_ people needed to sponsor them.

**xxxxxxx**

"Mr. Gray?" A slightly older than middle-aged woman with water-blue eyes and soft blonde hair peered up at him from her seat in her office and he gave her his most charming smile. If Tracy wanted good press, he'd get her _great _press.

"Yes, and you must be Ms. Bennet." He smiled graciously at her and she blinked once before smiling back uncertainly.

"I'm sorry, I'm just a bit surprised..." She looked up at him sceptically. "I was under the impression that the meeting would take place next week."

"Yes, the official meeting." He sank into the chair opposite her. "But you see, I like to have a certain familiarity with the charities my company confers with." He leaned forward, tapping his fingers sporadically on the oak table. "I'm sure you understand."

Whatever sarcastic comment Sandra Bennet was about to make (he was sure it was going to be sarcastic from the way her eyebrows drew up on her forehead) was cut off when the door to her office burst open and a younger blonde woman with bright red lipstick and a familiar glint in her eyes strode in.

"Ms. Bennet, I will take it from here. Mr. Gray, follow me." She smiled politely at him, gesturing for him to follow her out the door.

He gave a slightly apologetic shrug to the older Ms. Bennet before moving to leave. "It was a pleasure, Ms. Bennet."

"Likewise, Mr. Gray." The older woman's eyes sparkled with a kind of mirth that he didn't quite understand as he turned to leave. The door swung shut behind him and he turned to address the younger Bennet.

She was smiling up at him with a kind of youthfulness and energy that made his mouth twitch. Obviously a woman committed to her cause.

"I'm sorry about her." She said, her grin growing rueful. "She doesn't care much for lawyer types."

"I'm glad to see you've already fit me into a category." He drawled, smirking as he followed her to what he presumed was her office. "And if _she_ doesn't care for lawyer types, can I assume that means you do?"

Instead of growing flustered like he'd expected from someone who seemed so full of youth, she merely gave him a wry sort of smile as she settled down behind her desk.

"What can I do for you today, Mr. Gray?" She leaned forward on her elbows, her eyes bright and sharp. He liked the careless way she'd dismissed his flirtation and the sparkle in her eyes. He'd always liked a challenge.

He studied her for a moment before sinking into the chair opposite her, leaning forward on his elbows against the table as well. "Call me Sylar." He said finally, a half-smile threatening on the edge of his lips.

**xxxxxxxx**


End file.
